European Union Programme for Central Asia. Central Asia Education Platform Phase II (CAEP 2) EuropeAid 2014/354952

Transcription

1 March 2017 This project is funded by the European Commission European Union Programme for Central Asia Central Asia Education Platform Phase II (CAEP 2) EuropeAid 2014/ CURRENT STATE OF REFORM DEVELOPMENTS IN CENTRAL ASIA COUNTRIES WITH REGARD TO HIGHER EDUCATION (BOLOGNA PROCESS) AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TORINO PROCESS) Background Paper Jan Helbich and Andrea Miskovicova / on behalf of the EC and GOPA

2 Authors of the report: Jan Helbich (Report Coordinator) Andrea Miskovicova (Reporting Expert) Key informants: Brian Toll (EC, DG Education, Youth, Sport, and Culture) Piia Heinamaki (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) Arjen Vos (European Training Foundation) Christine Hemschemeier (European Training Foundation) 2

3 Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION Context and Objectives of the Study The European Education Initiative for Central Asia Main Principles of the Bologna Process Main Principles of the Torino Process The Asia-Europe Meeting 10 2 HIGHER EDUCATION AND VET REFORM EFFORTS Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan 38 3 SUCCESS STORIES 42 4 RECOMMENDATIONS 44 3

4 1 Introduction 1.1 Context and Objectives of the Study This study has been elaborated in the second phase of the Central Asia Education Platform (CAEP), which is one of the main focus areas of the European Education Initiative. This paper shall support the planned Ministerial Meeting in Astana in June 2017 by providing the Commission with a sufficient evidence-based background for discussions on the future direction of relations and cooperation in education (HE and VET) between the EU and Central Asia countries. In this context, Bologna and Torino processes play a crucial role in strengthening mutual cooperation and e.g. the alignment of quality standards in education. The report is dived into four main sections: This introductory section starts with an overview of the European Education Initiative for Central Asia under which the CAEP project is implemented. Following subsections explain the history and principles of the Bologna Process and Torino Process. The last subsection presents the development of the Asia-Europe Meeting fostering Bologna-compatible reforms in education. The second chapter presents an overview of achievements in Central Asia Countries with regard to higher education (Bologna Process) and vocational education and training (Torino Process). In each country, the following analytical categories are reviewed: Educational policies Three-cycle system of higher education Qualifications framework Credit system Internationalisation of higher education Quality assurance Evidence-based policy making Labour market relevance of VET EU Support The last two chapters present selected success stories and formulate recommendations for stakeholders and decision makers in Europe and Central Asia. 1.2 The European Education Initiative for Central Asia In 2007, the European Union launched the EU Central Asian Strategy for New Partnership in order to support various cooperation priorities with the five Central Asia countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The Strategy identified higher education as a strategic sector for development cooperation 1. The European Education Initiative (EEI) has been initiated within the framework of the Strategy, aiming at incorporating existing European 1 4

5 programmes in the field of higher education and vocational education and training (VET), as well as developing new cooperation formats, 2. The main objectives of the EEI for Central Asia are twofold: (i) to reform and modernise the education systems within the CA countries in order to meet changing needs and demand of globalised world, and to increase cooperation of these countries with major international stakeholders and donors supporting educational programmes; and (ii) to support student and academic staff exchanges within all levels of education, including VET and HE, through various international and bilateral programmes 3. The EEI is trying to provide a common framework for European support to the CA education sector. The Initiative is centered on existing initiatives, on EU support at the national and regional level, and coordination with other international donors 4. The Initiative helped to create closer links between Central Asia and Europe, especially the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) through various mobility and capacity development programmes and international cooperation modalities. In order to meet its objectives in Central Asia, the EEI has had three main focus areas: (i) the development of an EU Central Asia Education Platform; (ii) specific activities, including Bologna and Torino Process, Tempus, Erasmus Mundus, and project CAREN; (iii) information and communication actions, such as joint events and published joint materials 5. The Central Asia Education Platform (CAEP) is a cooperation initiative focusing on the two main components of education systems: (i) vocational education and training (VET); (ii) higher education (HE). Up to date, the CAEP has had two phases: 1. The first phase of CAEP started in February 2012 and ended in March 2015 as a DG DEVCO funded project. It represented the key pillar of European Education Initiative for Central Asia which aims at education and training sector modernization, strengthen cooperation between European Union (EU) and Central Asia (CA), improvement of inter-regional cooperation between Central Asia countries, as well as improvement of donors activities in the education sector. These goals have been achieved through a process of communication and exchange of experiences between the European Union and Central Asia in order to contribute to the adaptation of education systems of Central Asian States to the needs to the globalised world 6. The total project budget was The second phase of CAEP (CAEP 2) has been launched in March 2015 and will be running until March This phase builds on results and challenges identified in its first phase. During the second phase, CAEP will continue enhancing cooperation between stakeholders from EU and CA countries, as well as between CA countries. The main goal of CAEP 2 is to strengthen education reforms in CA countries. The second phase comprises three main components: (i) dialogue forums project will provide technical and logistical support to the organisation of national and regional dialogue forums (conferences, meetings, workshops) 7 ; (ii) mapping and communication regarding creation of the project database listing HE and VET projects in the region and set up under the first phase of the Platform 8 ; (iii) studies, which will complement the dialogue forums 9. The project budget and the source of funding remained the same as in the first phase. Specific activities of EEI constitute the content and the material means that would contribute to the concrete implementation of whatever might emerge from the development of the Education 2 Axyonova, V The EU Education Initiative for Central Asia five years on: lessons learnt? Jones, P The EU-Central Asia Education Initiative. Working Paper 09 6 European Union Programme for Central Asia (2013). Brief Project Description

6 Platform 10. This EEI s focus area comprises the following activities and instruments: (i) Tempus; (ii) Erasmus Mundus; (iii) the Bologna Process (for more details see following sections); (iv) the ETF s Torino Process (for more details see following sections); (v) project CAREN (Central Asian Research and Education Network). CAREN has been launched in 2009 as a follow-up of the Virtual Silk Highway (a.k.a. Silk Project), funded by NATO. Currently, the project has four members - Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan since 2010, and Kazakhstan since 2012, more precisely, the project partners are the national Research and Education Networking Associations (RENAs). The project is coordinated by GÉANT, which interconnects Europe s national research and education networking (NREN) organisations with an award-winning high bandwidth, high speed and highly resilient pan- European backbone connecting Europe's researchers, academics, and students to each other, and linking them to over half the countries in the world 11. CAREN connects national research and education network of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, in order to provide high-speed broad band network to link higher education institutions in Central Asia with the EU and globally 12. It links more than users at 300 universities and research centres 13. The project has currently had three phases the first one started in 2009 and ended in 2013, the second phase started in 2013 and ended in 2015, and the third phase started in June 2016 as a CAREN3, and will run up to The project is co-funded by DG DEVCO (80 %), the rest is provided by the partners 14. The allocations for each CAREN s phase have been approx Mil.. All of the abovementioned activities (Tempus, Erasmus Mundus, Bologna Process, etc.) have been coordinated and mapped in order to achieve complementarity and efficiency, and to focus on supporting education reform around shared priorities 15. Information and communication activities are related to the EU s commitment to holding joint events with broad participation, publishing joint materials and fostering information and communication on both the Education Initiative and the opportunities available for mobility, exchange and cooperation Main Principles of the Bologna Process In 1998, the education ministers of Germany, France, Italy and the United Kingdom signed the Sorbonne Declaration concerning the need for unified, comparable and compatible European higher education degree systems. Harmonized education systems in Europe should help to make higher education institutions more competitive and attractive, and students and job seekers to move within Europe, i.e. to make their qualification portable and applicable within various European countries 17. The Bologna Process launched in 1999 when 29 education ministers from Europe signed the Bologna Declaration. It represents a collective effort of various stakeholders from the public, private and non-profit sector to create a common European Higher Education Area (EHEA) in order to harmonize and modernize education and training systems of member countries Jones, P The EU-Central Asia Education Initiative. Working Paper Jones, P The EU-Central Asia Education Initiative. Working Paper Jones, P The EU-Central Asia Education Initiative. Working Paper Jones, P The EU-Central Asia Education Initiative. Working Paper

7 Currently, there are 49 members of the Bologna Process, comprising 48 countries and the European Commission. Altogether, the member countries create the EHEA. The Bologna Process is based on voluntary principles and its activities over time built the main pillars of EHEA: a common framework which includes Framework for Qualifications of EHEA, a common credit system (ECTS), common principles for the development of student-centered learning, the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance, a common Register of QA Agencies, a common approach to recognition, and a common body of methodologies and sustainable achievements produced by European HEIs ; common tools including the ECTS Users Guide, the Diploma Supplement, the Lisbon Recognition Convention (The Bologna Process revisited The Future of the European Higher Education Area, 2015) 19. The focus of the Bologna Process can be summarized as threefold: the introduction and implementation of the three-cycle system (bachelor master doctorate, or as undergraduate graduate - doctoral), strengthened quality assurance, which allows students and graduates to have confidence in the quality of higher education. It is a rigorous system of internal quality assurance, ensuring that HE curricula are able to respond to changing needs of the wider economy and help graduates to find a job 20. easier recognition of qualifications and periods of study within or across borders, which increases employability and raises skill levels. In other words, to support the transparency and recognition of knowledge, skills, and competences to make it easier to study and work anywhere in Europe 21. Every two or three years the member states organize the Ministerial Conferences aiming at assessing the progress made and discussing the new steps to be taken. In conjunction with the Ministerial Conference, the Bologna Policy Forum (BPF) has been organized since The BPF is for non-ehea countries from the MENAAS countries (Middle East, North Africa, and Asia), bordering EHEA ones 22. The main output of the BPF is the Bologna Policy Forum Statement 23. For more details see below. In order to ensure the implementation of the new steps decided, the EHEA uses several support structures: Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) monitors the process and designs the work programme. BFUG consists of representatives from all member countries and it represents an executive structure of the Bologna Process; BFUG Board is an advisory committee for Secretariat and oversees the work between two meetings of the BFUG; BFUG Secretariat supports the overall follow-up work and it is provided by the country hosting the next Ministerial Conference, the current secretariat is Yerevan to Paris with the duration from 1 July 2015 to 30 June Working Groups and Bologna Seminars 24. The most important outcome of the Bologna Process is the Ministerial Communiqué 25. In the most recent Yerevan Communiqué, ministers agreed that the Bologna reforms brought along progress in The most recent has been the 2015 Yerevan Bologna Policy Forum Statement

8 education systems within the EHEA. However, the implementation of the structural reforms is uneven and the tools are sometimes used incorrectly or in bureaucratic and superficial ways 26. The renewed vision of the Bologna Process is to strengthen the trust among higher education systems within the EHEA, the recognition of students and graduates qualifications, and to support HEIs contribution to building inclusive societies, promoting democratic values and human rights, and providing competencies and skills required for European citizenship, innovation and employment 27. Within the Central Asia region, only Kazakhstan is the Bologna Process member country, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are implementing the BP on voluntary basis using incentive mechanisms (the BP being implemented by ad hoc groups under the supervision of the Ministry of Education) 28, and Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have no specific mechanism for supporting the implementation of the Bologna Process 29. Bologna Policy Forum Organisation of the Bologna policy forum (BPF) has been recommended in 2009 by the Bologna Working Group. The BPF aim is to develop a policy dialogue on specific topics related to higher education, such as mobility, quality assurance, higher education reforms. It is organized back-toback with the Ministerial Meetings for ministers responsible for higher education from non- Bologna countries. The BBF is making full use of existing EU and UNESCO initiatives 30. The most recent BPF, jointly with the Ministerial Conference, was held in 2015 in Yerevan, Armenia. The Bologna Policy Forum Statement is the main outcome of the BPF and it sets the stage for the external dimension of the Bologna Process 31. The last BPF Statement highlighted the need for strengthening the cooperation between the EHEA and the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia (MENAAS) countries, bordering EHEA ones, in order to make the higher education systems more responsive to the current challenges. HE reforms will focus on improvement of the quality of HE and reducing unemployment among young people, especially women. These reforms should promote the structural reforms, as well, including mobility schemes and joint programs 32. The major priorities set within the Yerevan Bologna Policy Forum are: (i) development of national qualification frameworks compatible with EHEA national frameworks; (ii) development of cooperation in quality assurance with further promotion of mutual trust in non-ehea countries education systems and EHEA countries qualifications; (iii) improvement of the mutual recognition of qualifications by improved information, joint development, and dissemination of recognition practice; (iv) to cooperate in development and implementation of credit transfer system, respecting the ECTS Main Principles of the Torino Process The European Training Foundation (ETF) is a European Union s decentralized agency, helping transition and developing countries to harness the potential of their human capital through the reform of education, training and labour market systems in the context of the EU s external relations policy 34. The ETF was established in 1990 in Turin, Italy, and started to operate in Yerevan Communicqué, Yerevan Communicqué, Yerevan Bologna Policy Forum Statement Yerevan Bologna Policy Forum Statement

9 In 2010, the ETF launched the Torino Process, the biannual participatory analytical review of the status and progress of vocational education and training in the ETF partner countries 35. Up to now, the Torino Process has been implemented in four rounds (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016) and over this period it moved from description to measuring the progress made in the VET sector in partner countries 36. The main results of previous rounds comprise strengthened participation of various stakeholders, communication among them, and increased transparency and accountability of partner countries. These results represent a joint commitment of the partner countries and the European Union for the human capital development and have been summarized in the Torino Conference Declaration, a document that has closed each completed round of the Torino Process 37. The Torino Process has, in general, two main objectives: (i) to acquire up to date knowledge about the policies and their results in a country; and (ii) to strengthen the ownership, participation, and evidence-base of policy making to improve the performance of policies 38. The Torino Process helps to develop, implement and monitor the policies in the partner countries. It is based on four principles: 1. ownership of process and results (the final reports and policy development implications) by the partner country s policy leaders and stakeholders so the Torino Process outcomes influence the national policy; 2. broad participation within the Torino Process by relevant stakeholders from public, private and non-profit sector in order to provide the basis for reflection and consensus among these stakeholders. This principle supports connection between policy analysis and policy implementation; 3. a holistic approach considering both the system elements and how they communicate, as well as how the VET system responds to the socio-economic environment in which it operates; 4. an evidence- or knowledge-based assessment necessary to making informed decisions about the policy development and progress measurement. This principle is important for capturing the good practices, too 39. The policy monitoring on VET planning, provision and responsiveness to external demand is measured with the Torino Process Analytical Framework (AF) comprising a collection of questions divided into five sections: (i) vision of VET system; (ii) strategy of VET system; (iii) external efficiency (responsiveness of VET to the socio-economic needs); (iv) internal efficiency; (v) governance. The results of the AF represent the basis for evidence-based analysis of monitoring findings of the progress made in policy development. The Torino Process is a dynamic approach introducing improvements made in partner country in each cycle 40. The most recent Torino Process comprises the consolidation of a three-step approach to the collection and analysis of information, already implemented in previous rounds of the process 41. The first step is consultation, and its purpose is to gather knowledge and professional expertise of Torino Process participants. It is implemented in so-called kick-off phase in order to bring together stakeholders of VET sector which results in the Analytical Framework, outlined areas of progress, the updated evidence, and designed roadmap for the finalization of the report. The second step is peer review aiming at the establishment of a quality assurance mechanism based on dialogue and consultation between the ETF and the specific country. The peer review step European Training Foundation, Torino Process European Training Foundation, Torino Process European Training Foundation, Torino Process European Training Foundation, Torino Process European Training Foundation, Torino Process

10 is initiated by the country in case of self-assessment, or by the ETF in the case of ETF-supported assessment 42. Finally, the third step is validation, concluding the national consultation and approve the report, including the assessment of progress and the development stage in the priority areas identified through the process 43. The assessment and validation criteria are provided by the ETF. The ETF offers two modalities of implementation arrangements in order to produce the most relevant report: (i)etf supported assessment, suitable for countries that need stronger lead and assistance from the ETF; (ii) country-led self-assessment, suitable for countries that want to lead the process and to draft own reports. Regardless modality, the implementation of above mentioned three steps is mandatory 44. The ETF contributes to evidence-based policy making and implementation within the Central Asia region, through policy advice and capacity building support in VET sector. The role of the Torino Process in Central Asia is to increase the quality of analysis of VET sector 45. All of the CA countries are the Torino Process partners, however, Turkmenistan has not participated in the Torino Process cycle. Nevertheless, the country has followed the project internationally and regionally in order to promote its commitment to international cooperation 46. The priorities of the ETF in Kazakhstan comprise: (i) improvement of quality and attractiveness of the VET sector; (ii) strengthening the cooperation between education and business; (iii) continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers 47. In Kyrgyzstan, the ETF aims mainly at: (i) development of better understanding the economic and labour market needs, tools and methods; (ii) capacity building in the field of policy development; (iii) operationalizing the social partnership to improve the VET sector s relevance; (iv) continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers 48. In Tajikistan, the ETF s priorities are: (i) to increase the cooperation between education and business; (ii) improvement of the quality assurance system; (iii) to support the continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers 49. The ETF s priorities in Uzbekistan are very similar those in other Central Asia countries: (i) to strengthen the cooperation between business and education; (ii) to promote the continuous professional development of VET teachers and trainers; (iii) to support the Torino Process implementation; (iv) to establish a National Qualification Framework The Asia-Europe Meeting The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was established in 1996 as an informal intergovernmental process aiming at fostering political dialogue and cooperation between Asia and Europe. ASEM address political, economic, social, cultural, and educational issues of common interest, in a spirit of mutual respect and equal partnership 51. Currently, it has 53 partners 30 European countries, 21 Asian countries, the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) secretariat. The majority of the Bologna 42 European Training Foundation, Torino Process European Training Foundation, Torino Process European Training Foundation, Torino Process

11 Process member countries are ASEM partners. The only ASEM partner country from Central Asia is Kazakhstan. The heads of state and government of the respective partner countries, the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission, and the Secretary-General of the ASEAN are meeting every other year on ASEM Summit. Aside the Summits, the topics of foreign affairs, environment, transport, financial, cultural, educational, labour, employment, and economic issues are being discussed on regular Ministerial Meetings. ASEM also brings together members of parliament, the business sector, civil society, academia and the media 52. Within its social, cultural, and educational pillar, ASEM aims at strengthening cultural links between Asia and Europe, in particular closer people-to-people contacts, which are indispensable for the promotion of greater awareness and understanding between the two regions 53. In the education area, ASEM aims at promoting the education exchanges between Europe and Asia through Asia-Europe Higher Education Exchanges. An important institution in this pillar is the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), launched in 1997 and based in Singapore. It is the only permanent institution of the ASEM process. ASEF is promoting intellectual, cultural and people-topeople exchanges between Europe and Asia 54. ASEF is funded by voluntary contributions from ASEM partners and it is co-financing its projects with civil society partners from Asia and Europe. ASEF has implemented approximately 700 projects, mainly seminars, conferences, workshops, with more than 750 partner organisations, and more than participants from Asia and Europe 55. The ASEM Education Process, launched in Berlin in 2008, is aiming at strengthening cooperation in HE and VET sector within partner countries. The main objectives of ASEM Education Process are: (i) development of quality assurance and recognition; (ii) engaging business and industry in education; (iii) enhance balanced mobility; (iv) promote Lifelong Learning including VET. In order to meet these objectives, various tools have been developed: (i) developing programmes; (ii) building knowledge bases (surveys, studies); (iii) implementing initiatives in order to foster outcome-driven activities; (iv) establishing expert groups which will assist in project or policy formulation and implementation of reforms 56. A key tool of the ASEM Education Process is the ASEF Education Policy Programme, which stimulates practice-based and policy-oriented dialogues and solutions with a focus on cooperation between education, business and industry sectors, Lifelong learning, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) 57. The outputs of this Programme are various seminars, conferences, fora, meetings, symposia (for more info click on selected programme/activity here: Another programme within ASEM Education Process is the ASEF Young Leaders Programme which provides platforms for dialogue and solution-centred pragmatic skills-development, which also enable youth to establish networks and create direct connections with the ASEM policy-makers 58. Outputs of this programme comprise summits, summer universities, and training (for more info click on selected programme/activity here: Up to date, ASEM has developed two own major programmes promoting education sector in partner countries: 1. ASEM Education Hub launched in The main idea was that individual universities would volunteer as centers of excellence in a particular field relevant to Asia-Europe

12 relations, and be ready to receive exchange students from other hub institutes for one or two semesters 59. Currently, there is active the ASEM Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEM LLL Hub), established in 2005 in Copenhagen. The Hub connects more than 100 researchers in 5 research networks, senior representatives from 36 universities within its University Council, Senior Officials from 22 ministries of education, and five international organisations. The Hub works in partnership with the ASEF. 2. the ASEM DUO is a fellowship-granting programme for university students and teachers of ASEM countries. It was established in 2001 and it is funded by ASEM partners. Its main purpose is to: (i) promote increased contact between students, teachers, and professors; (ii) promote regular basis exchange programs between European and Asian tertiary institutions; (iii) establish a deeper understanding between Europe and Asia 60. The main idea is to promote exchanges of a pair (two persons) between Asia and Europe. The name of DUO project indicates the country of origin of a student/teacher who will be exchanged with another student/teacher from either Europe or Asia. For instance, in DUO-Korea program, one student/teacher has to be from Korea, the other can be from any ASEM European partner country. Up to date, there are 8 ASEM DUO programs: (i) DUO-Korea; (ii) DUO-Singapore; (iii) DUO-Thailand; (iv) DUO-Sweden; (v) DUO-Belgium/Flanders; (vi) DUO-Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels; (vii) DUO-France; (viii) DUO-Denmark. The current exchanges are announced in Calls for applications by ASEM-DUO Secretariat. The duration of an exchange is usually 1 semester (4 months), however, it is not necessary that the exchange period coincides for each pair. The exchanges should be executed after August in the initial year and finished before September next one 61. Aside from above-mentioned programmes, ASEM has another four education initiatives. The first one has been launched during the third ASEM ministerial meeting in 2013 in Copenhagen, other three have been initiated during the fourth ASEM ministerial meeting in 2013 in Kuala Lumpur: 1. ASEM Work Placement Programme the programme has been launched in Its objective is to establish, promote and sustain the mutual exchange of interns between the regions Europe and Asia on the basis of balance and mutual benefits 62. The programme provides opportunities for students to gain international work experience. The target group is undergraduate and Master students. Duration of internship is from two to six months full time. Participating countries are Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Germany, Indonesia, and Thailand ASEM Joint Curriculum Development in Tourism and Hospitality Programme the objective is to increase the number of joint study programmes (in Asian and European studies) and summer schools between Asian and European HEIs by using various programmes and funding schemes 64. Target groups are at least three European universities in tourism education (each from a different European country) and at least three Asian universities with the same field of study (also, each from a different country), together with at least one company of the tourism industry in each region. The project launched in 2016, the duration is three to four semesters. Participating countries are Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Germany, Lithuania, Romania and Indonesia ASEM Recognition Bridging Declaration the objective of the programme is to foster cooperation and exchange of information in recognition of qualifications concerning higher education between Asian and European regions under the Framework of ASEM 66. Target

13 groups of the programme are national information centers in Asia and Europe. Partner countries are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, China, Germany, Estonia, Indonesia, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom ASEM Interregional Credit Transfer Mechanisms and Learning Outcome Systems the Programme s objective is to foster the establishment of ASEM interregional credit transfer mechanism, and the establishment of criteria for interregional recognition of credits and learning outcomes learning outcomes 68. The programme has been launched in 2016 at the First Expert Working Group meeting in China, and its aim was to officially establish the Expert Working Group and approve the Terms of Reference including the future agenda. Target groups are ASEM Member Countries and regional and international organisations. Participating countries are Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, China, Estonia, Indonesia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Portugal, Romania, Thailand, United Kingdom

14 2 Higher Education and VET Reform Efforts The following subsections of the report review main reform achievements in HE and VET in each Central Asia country. Based on that, the overall situation can be summarised in the following way: Educational policies In all five countries, key legislation fostering reforms in higher and vocational education has been adopted in Over the past two years 2015 and 2016, the countries concentrated their efforts on practical implementation of the reforms outlined by the new laws. Three-cycle system of higher education All five countries have already implemented the Bologna-inspired first level of higher education in the form of Bachelor programmes as well as Masters programmes representing the second level of higher education. However, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan still have a parallel second level Specialty programme. 3-years Ph.D. programmes are offered by HEIs in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and by selected pilot HEIs in Kyrgyzstan. Postgraduate programmes are called Aspirantura in Turkmenistan and Doctor of sciences in Uzbekistan. Qualifications framework In all the Central Asian countries, the influence of the Soviet Tariff Qualification System that regulated the labour market and education through classifiers of occupations and qualification characteristics, state educational standards, the labour registration, and remuneration, is still noticeable. There is still a tendency to consider qualifications as a license to practice, rather than a passport to multiple careers and lifelong learning. CA countries except Turkmenistan have been engaging with the concept of a NQF based on the principles of lifelong learning and learning outcomes over many years, though to a very different extent. Kazakhstan has started implementation, Kyrgyzstan has legislated and tested aspects of the NQF, Tajikistan is conceptualising its NQF and has legislated some aspects, and Uzbekistan is amending its tariffqualification system to integrate some features of the NQF. The differences are due to differences in economic structure and development, the institutional landscape and capacity in terms of human and financial resources and international exposure. Credit system Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Tajik credit systems are compatible with ECTS. Kazakhstan has started a full transition to the ECTS. Internationalisation of higher education Kazakhstan is a regional leader in terms of HE cooperation with the European Union and its Member States. The country benefits from a number of European capacity development and mobility programmes. Moreover, Kazakhstan has a dedicated Academic Mobility Strategy for

15 2020 and two national mobility promotion schemes: the Bolashak and the Academy mobility programme. Kyrgyzstan is the only net importer of HE students in Central Asia, also actively participating in Erasmus+ and various mobility schemes offered by the EU Member States. Tajikistan and Turkmenistan do not sufficiently use the cooperation potential with European HEIs. International cooperation is dynamically growing in Uzbekistan, based on Erasmus+ and individual scholarships awarded to Uzbek students and HEI staff by Germany, France, Latvia and the other EU Member States. However, the number of foreigners who study in Uzbekistan is extremely low. Quality assurance Independent accreditation of education providers and programmes for Higher Education and VET has been so far introduced in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Both countries are currently in the transition phase from state-based to independent systems. Quality assurance mechanisms in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan are still based on governmental authorities. Evidence-based policy making Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian country which takes part in international evidence collection exercises in the field of education in a systematic manner. The country is gradually developing national experience and expertise in evidence collection and analysis, including a newly established education database. Some progress has been achieved in Kyrgyzstan, mainly through the capacity development of the VET Agency and Republican Scientific Methodological Centre. Institutionalisation of a VET tracer study mechanism is one of the achievements over the past two years. Tajikistan does not have sufficient resources for regular evidence collection and therefore relies on ad hoc evidence produced with international donor support. In the case of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, accessing data by the public is limited by internal rules and regulations and thus it is not clear to what extent are data available and used for policy making. As reported by ETF, typically more data is available at national (and regional) level also on labour market aspects than on education-related aspects. The coverage of detailed education data, particularly data referring to VET and lifelong learning, is rather poor. Data that are available are often out of date. This holds true in particular for education expenditure figures. Moreover, the collected data cover to a large extent information on access, participation, financing, but less the indicators on quality and relevance. The existence of data does not necessarily mean that such evidence is used. A very good example of this challenge is Kazakhstan, where plenty of evidence is being collected and available. However, there is a need to improve its use for policy analysis. 70 Regarding the focus of data, all countries have in particular identified the lack of skills matching related data as problematic, while only Kazakhstan has identified the lack of evidence on vulnerable groups (including NEET) as a further development area 71. Labour market relevance of VET Education policy documents of all five countries focus on labour market relevance as a quality proof for VET. Consequently, there is a heightened focus on the involvement of employers at all levels of education. Kazakhstan has made a significant progress in the implementation of the Germany-inspired dual approach and delegated the responsibility for occupational standards to the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs. Kyrgyzstan developed new qualification structure and competences for VET staff and took initial steps towards the dual system. Labour market in Tajikistan still suffers from limited institutional capacities of VET to adapt the workforce to its needs. Turkmenistan witnessed some progress in terms of enterprise based training provided 70 ETF for CAEP: Evidence based policy making for better policies and better impact. Discussion note 71 Source: ETF 15

16 mainly by foreign investors. In Uzbekistan, HEIs actively support their graduates in the job search. At the same time, Uzbek business community cooperates with VET system but the skills gap remains a challenge. A new aspect introduced in the VET system is the four party contract between the student, college, employer and local authority. EU Support In the field of higher education, the focus of EU interventions in Central Asia has been threefold: (i) support to the internationalisation of HEIs 72, (ii) capacity development of HEIs, and (iii) structural reforms of the whole HE sector. Main channels of the support to HE in CA are the current opportunities offered by Erasmus+ (and its predecessors Tempus and Erasmus Mundus) and the development cooperation projects financed from DG DEVCO. Recently published Evaluation report 73 concludes that over the period the EU contributed to the reform of quality assurance systems and practice, an enhanced reflection of socioeconomic demands and developments by HE providers and in state education standards, the modernisation of academic education provision (teaching, learning, assessment and study programmes) at higher education institutions which participated in EU programmes, and innovations in HE governance and management. However, EU regional assistance had a limited and mostly indirect impact on system reform, i.e. national strategic reform design and/or decisions in HE in the CA countries. The CA countries themselves determined the overall strategic direction and scope of (aspired) convergence with EU standards in higher education. Nonetheless, the longevity of the EU programmes in CA, the critical mass of EU-funded projects and the Tempus and Erasmus programmes bottom up approach contributed to a changing attitude among national stakeholders, increasing support for reforms in line with EU/EHEA standards and good practice, and strengthened capacities to design such reforms. The impact of EU support in the individual countries was limited when the application/ implementation of project results required changes in the policy framework. The capacity or readiness of national systems and decision-makers to absorb, follow-up and capitalise on EU-funded initiatives at policy level was not always sufficient even where government representatives were formal partners of project consortia. EU regional assistance was successful in inducing regional co-operation and exchange between HEIs and government representatives of the five CA countries in the course of project activities and other EU initiated regional events. Still, the primary appeal of the regional programmes for CA partners was the opportunity to cooperate with EU partners; regional cooperation was not a priority for CA countries. Regional academic networks and networking heavily relied on incentives from external donors (EU and other). Proactive communication and interaction between CA partners in the course of EU projects required sustained support and encouragement. Substantial changes in terms of regional policy dialogue, agreements or policies for enhancing HE quality and relevance of HE provision were not observed. The reforms of the VET sector in Central Asian countries are supported by the European Training Foundation (ETF), a decentralised agency of the European Union based in Turin, Italy. A key tool for dialogue on the status of VET reforms across partner countries is Torino process. Between 2014 and 2016, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan have been active participants in the 2016 process and carried out a self-assessment on development within their VET system. Beyond the Torino Process, ETF has in Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan engaged VET stakeholders in a dialogue on continuing professional development (CPD) of VET staff. In Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, the ETF has also supported the work of a number of communities of 72 An overview of EU and EU Member States support to mobility in HE can be found in the Stock-taking Report on Existing Capacity Development and Mobility Programmes between the EU and Central Asia Countries published by the CAEP 2 project. 73 Evaluation of EU regional support to Central Asia ( ), Final Report Volume 1, September

17 practice, composed mainly of VET practitioners. Kazakhstan has been involved in the ETF skills connexion project, which focuses on supporting work-based learning (WBL). In the Kyrgyz Republic, the ETF has in cooperation with the ADB supported the institutionalisation of a tracer study methodology for VET. Several projects in VET sector are financed by DG DEVCO. The largest projects include the 17 Million EUR Support to the reform of the education sector in the Kyrgyz Republic ( ), 15 Million EUR Quality Education Support Programme I in Tajikistan ( ) and 4,7 Million EUR Support to the Education Sector in Turkmenistan ( ). The most active EU Member State in Central Asia is Germany through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implementing a number of large projects fostering VET reforms in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. 17

18 2.1 Kazakhstan 74 Key achievements in 2015 and 2016: The transition from the Kazakh credit transfer system to the ECTS is in progress. The transition from existing to the (new) independent accreditation system is in progress is a foreseen deadline for HE, 2020 for TVET. Draft national law on Professional Qualifications is being discussed in the Government 75. Increased involvement of employers and their associations in VET governance. Continual development of occupational standards. As of 2016, National Chamber of Entrepreneurs became formally responsible for occupational standards. In 2015, a database covering all education levels (HE to be integrated as of 2017) has been established under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Science. A pilot phase of PIAAC survey of adult skills has been launched in Roadmap for the implementation of the dual approach has been developed in In 2016, the dual approach has been established by the amendments of the Law on Education and the labour code. Kazakhstan s ambitious development policies include education reforms as a priority. Major reforms in the field of higher education are associated with Kazakhstan joining the Bologna process in At the same time, stakeholders at all levels more and more understand that VET is a tool for economic development and therefore cannot be considered in isolation or as part of education policy only. Educational policies The basis of the state policy in the field of education represents the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1995) 76. The law of the Republic of Kazakhstan About Education regulates social relationship in the area of education, determines general principles of state policy in this area and is directed to provide citizens constitution right for education of the Republic of Kazakhstan and also foreign citizens and stateless citizens, permanently residing in the Republic of Kazakhstan 77. The Law on Education has been adopted in 2007 and amended in Based on that, two State Programmes of Education Development in Kazakhstan for and for have been adopted. Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, outlined by the President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2012, is a continuation of former Kazakhstan 2030, which was adopted in The strategic objective of Kazakhstan 2050 is to join the world s top 30 developed countries. Currently, Kazakhstan is the 51 st most competitive country in the world 78. In order to reach this strategic objective, seven key directions have been given: (i) economic policy Kazakhstan will define new markets, create a favourable investment climate and effective private sector economy, and develop a new system of natural resources management; (ii) comprehensive support of entrepreneurship aim is to double the share of SMEs in national economy; (iii) new principles of social policy aiming at ensuring social security and the well-being of Kazakh citizens through poverty and social imbalances reduction, and employment and salary policy modernization; (iv) knowledge and 74 This section is mainly based on information provided by ETF 75 Source: EC: Overview of the Higher Education System Kazakhstan. February Overview of the Higher Education System, Kazakhstan